Yemi Adelekan is a food writer and blogger who was a semi-finalist in the 2022 series of BBC TV’s Masterchef competition.

Every Saturday, Yemi writes for the Stray Ferret about her love of the area’s food and shares cooking tips. Please do get in touch with her if you want her to review a restaurant, visit your farm, taste the produce you sell, or even share a recipe.

As the air shifts and the mornings turn cooler, I find myself reaching for comforting recipes that feel like a warm hug in a bowl. For me, autumn is the start of soup season as cold salads go past their ‘welcome date’ on my dining table.

It’s the time of year when root vegetables are at their peak, markets are brimming with parsnips, carrots and beetroots, and I expect kitchens across Yorkshire to begin to fill with the aromas of slow cooking and gentle spices. Top of my list every single year is my roasted spiced parsnip soup.

Outside of Christmas dinner and Sunday roasts, parsnips often get overlooked, sitting quietly next to their more popular cousin, the carrot, but I think they deserve their time in the spotlight. When roasted, their natural sweetness deepens and takes on a nutty, caramelised flavour. Pair that with shallots, onions, garlic, and a handful of warming spices, and you’ve got the foundation of a soup that has graced my table for years.

The way I build this soup is simple but full of intent. I roast the parsnips with shallots, onions and garlic until they are golden and just catching on the edges. The roasting process does all the heavy lifting. It brings out smokiness and sweetness, while giving the vegetables a depth you can’t achieve by boiling.

Once roasted, I blitz them with vegetable stock, a spoonful of curry powder, ground cumin, and just enough heat from habanero or scotch bonnet pepper and a few chilli flakes. Right at the end, I brighten everything up with lemon rind and a generous squeeze of lemon juice. That last step is essential. It cuts through the richness and makes every spoonful come alive.

The end result is a bowlful that delivers on every level. You get the sweetness from the parsnips, the smokiness from the roasted vegetables, tang from the lemon, and a little fire from the chilli. It’s a soup that dances across your palate and warms you from the inside out.

This recipe was a firm favourite in my house as my children were growing up. It became my secret weapon to sneak vegetables into them without protest. In fact, it was one of the few dishes where they would look up, bowls empty, and ask for more. I used to smile at the irony of it. Vegetables, so often resisted on their own, were suddenly celebrated when transformed into this soup. For any parent, there is no greater victory than watching your children happily reach for seconds of something wholesome and nourishing.

There’s also a practical side to this soup. As the days get colder, our immune systems need all the help they can get. A bowl of this soup is not only comforting, but also nourishing, packed with the goodness of root vegetables and a punch of spices that can help ward off the sniffles that come with the season.

I often finish mine with a drizzle of herb oil, which you can make by blending fresh herbs like coriander or parsley with olive oil. A little homemade chilli oil also works beautifully for those who want an extra kick.

Although parsnip is the star, this recipe is versatile. You can swap in other root vegetables depending on what you have at hand. Carrots will add extra sweetness, celeriac brings an earthy depth, sweet potatoes give creaminess, and beetroot turns the whole thing a glorious shade of ruby red while adding a subtle earthiness. Each variation tells its own story but still delivers that same balance of warmth, spice and comfort.

Of course, no soup in my house is served alone. I love pairing this one with freshly made flatbreads that I top with a dressing made from za’atar, Louisa’s honey and Two and One olive oil, and scatter over fresh herbs. The result is a bread that’s savoury, fragrant, slightly sweet, and utterly irresistible when dipped into the soup. Together they make a meal that feels both rustic and luxurious, simple but satisfying.

This soup holds such a special place for me that I’ve decided to feature it as a starter at my upcoming supper clubs at Method, Sykes House Farm in Wetherby on October 4 and 5. It feels only right that a recipe which has been loved in my own home for years should be shared with a wider table. Bookings are already open on the Method website, and I cannot wait to serve this to guests, alongside a menu that celebrates the very best of the season.

As I think about this soup, I’m reminded that food is not just about feeding the body, it’s about feeding memories and creating moments. This soup is one of those recipes that has become part of my family’s story, and now it has the chance to become part of yours. So as autumn draws in, I encourage you to roast a tray of parsnips, let the aromas fill your kitchen, and serve up a bowl of warmth that will have everyone asking for more.

Roasted Spiced Parsnip Soup

Serves 4-6

Ingredients

· 4 medium parsnips, peeled and chopped

· 2 shallots, peeled and halved

· 1 large onion, quartered

· 3 garlic cloves, skin on

· 2 tbsp olive oil

· 1 tsp curry powder

· 1 tsp ground cumin

· 1 tsp ground ginger or a small thumb size of grated fresh ginger

· ½–1 habanero or scotch bonnet

· ½ tsp chilli flakes

· 1 litre vegetable stock

· zest and juice of 1 lemon

· salt and pepper to taste

Optional finishes

· drizzle of herb oil or chilli oil

· fresh herbs, chopped

Method

1. Preheat the oven to 200°C (180°C fan).

2. Place parsnips, shallots, onion and garlic on a baking tray. Drizzle with olive oil, season, and roast for 25-30 minutes until golden and caramelised.

3. Squeeze the roasted garlic from its skins and transfer everything to a saucepan. Add curry powder, cumin, chilli flakes, ginger and fresh chilli. Stir briefly over low heat.

4. Pour in the stock, bring to a simmer, then blitz with a stick blender until smooth.

5. Add lemon zest and juice, taste, and adjust seasoning.

6. Serve hot with a drizzle of herb oil or chilli oil and fresh herbs.

To serve

Pair with warm flatbreads topped with za’atar, honey and olive oil, and a scattering of fresh herbs.